Folding crate



A. HIRLINGER.

FOLDING CRATE. APPLICATION FILED IAII.24, IsIIIs.

Patented June 10, 1913.

. 2 SHEETS-SHEET l.

A. HIBLINGER.

FOLDINQCRATE. APPLICATION FILED JAN. 24. |916.

Patented J une 10, 1919.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

@WED STATES PATENT n,

s AUGUs'r HIRLINGER, or cINcINNA'rr, oHIo.

To all whomvz'tmag/ Gomera) e e. y Be itknown thatl, Aueusr HIRLINGER, a citizen of the United States, residing at Hyde "Park, Gincinnati, in the county of Hamilton'and State of Ohio, have invented certain newV and useful Improvements in Folding Crates, of which, the following is a specification. y ,s c U This invention relates to improvements 1n folding crates and has for its object to provide a crate or boxhavingits walls so arranged that they maybe folded upon one another into a very compact space. e

Another object of the invention is to provide a crate having its side walls and top wall members hingedly connected together.

And still anotherobject of the` invention is to provide a slatted crate so arranged that,

the slats of one part of the crate may intermesh with the slats of another part thereof whereby a plurality of walls or sides will only occupy a little more Space than that equal to the thickness of one wall or slde of the crate.

With the above and other objects in view which will hereinafter more fully appear, I have invented the device illustrated in the accompanying drawings in which:-

Figure 1, is a top plan view of my device shown knocked down,

Fig. 2is a sectional View taken on line 2-2 Fig. 1,

Fig. 3, is a perspective view of the invention shown set up,

Fig. 4, is an enlarged detail sectlonal view taken on line 4-4 Fig. 3, and n Fig. 5, is a plan view of the devicewlth all of its parts extended and shown lymg m a common plane.

Like reference characters indicate like parts throughout the specification and in the several views in the drawings in which 1 indicates a bottom wall which is of a size equal to the combined area of the two end walls 2 and 3 which are hinged thereto. The bottom 1 is also of a size approximately that of each of the two members 4 and 5 each of which consists of a side wall and a top wall member, said side walls being hingedly connected to said bottom.

When the crate is set up the walls 2, 3, 6, and 7 are held connected and in a vertical position by means of catches or hooks 8 which may be of any kind most suitable for the purpose. The walls 4 and 6 are conroLnING vcaserta Y Speciication of Letters Patent. Patented J 11e 10, 1919, Alpfncatioa med January 24, 191e.. serial No. 73,932.

nected by Ihinges `9 and 10 and the walls 5 and 7 are connected by hinges 11 and 12.

The member 4 is provided with braces 13 4and 13 and 14 and 14 which connect the slats 15 and 16 and are fastened to their inner surfaces. The member 5 is provided with braces 17 and 17 and 18 and 18', which are Xed to the slats 1,9 and 20 on the outer surfaces thereof in order that the slats 19 and 2O may lie within the spaces between the slats 15and 16 when the crate is folded. Thus when the members 4 and 5 are folded upon one another the slats 15, 16, 19 and 20 will all lie in a common plane. The side 6 is connected to the bottom 1 by hinges 21 and 22 and the side 7 is connected to the bottom by hinges 23 and 24, said hinges 21 to 24 being elevated to enable the parts 4 and 5 to fold over the parts 2 and 3.

When the crate is knocked down the members 2 and 3 are first folded upon the bottom 1, then the member 4 is folded over the members 2 and 3 and finally the member 5 is folded upon the member 4 the slats of the members 4 and 5 intermeshing, thus making a very fiat compact package for shipping empty and for storing. Bolts 25 are hingedly connected to the sides 2 and 3 and are adapted to project through slots 26 in the slats 15 and 16 and held fixed to said slats 15 and 16 by means of wing nuts;27 and 28.

I claim- 1. A crate having a bottom, side walls hinged to the sides thereof and a top section hinged to each side wall, end walls hinged to said bottom and adapted to fold thereupon, one of said side walls and its top section adapted to fold uponsaid end walls and the other side wall and its top section adapted to fold against said first side wall and its top section, all of said walls and top sections being formed of slats, the slats of said side walls and top sections being arranged to intermesh when folded to form a tight closure for the crate when folded, braces on the outer surface of one of said side walls and its top section and braces on the inner surface of the other side wall and its top section whereby the intermeshing of the slats of said members may be free to intermesh.

2. A crate having a bottom, side walls hinged to the sides thereof and a top section hinged to each side wall, end walls hinged to v said bottom and adapted to fold thereupon,

one of said side walls and its top sectionl adapted to foldrupon said end 'walls and the being arranged to intermesh when folded to form a tight closure for the crate when folded, braces on the outer surface of one of said side walls and its top section and braces on the yinner surface of the other side wall and its top section whereby the intermeshing o the'slats of said members may be free to intermesh, hinged screw bolts mounted upon certain of said walls and thumb nuts whereby said crate may be fixed in set" upposition.

3, In a folding slatted crate, hingedysides, a top Section hinged to each of said sides, the slats of' one sideand-top section adapted to intermesh with the slats of the other sideand top section. v

4, In a folding slatted crate, hinged sides; a top section hinged to each of said sides, the slats of one side and topl section adapted toV intermesh with the slats of the other side and top section, a bottom to which said'sides are hinged, vand 'ends hingedto said "bottom and adapted to fold under said sides and top sections. y l v 5; 'In afoldi'ng `slatted crate, hinged sides, atopseotion hinged to each of said sides, the slats of one side and top section adapted to intermeshwith the slats of the other xside and top section,- cleats on the inside of one of said side and to'p sections for holding the slats thereof together. Y

6. In a foldingslattedcrate, hinged sides, a top'section hinged to eahofsaid 'side's,the slats 'ofoie siidewand topfsctionadapted to in'ternie'sh' with the slats othefother side and top section, cleats on the'iside 'of-one'ofsaid sideand top sec'tions,"and oleatson theoutside lof the other of said "sides and Atlp sec? tions whereby the slats of said sidesandtop sectionsare held 'togetheinfV f In testimony Vwhereof- If'aX my'signature in the presenceofftwowitnesses.

l v 'AUGUST HIRLINGER.' Vitnesses: A

, Washingtoni C. 

